According to a Microsoft blog post, the company has proposed a revised deal where it is planning to transfer cloud gaming rights for current and new Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft.The plan to transfer rights is designed to appease the UK regulators that are concerned about the impact of this deal on cloud gaming competition. This restructured deal has triggered a new regulatory investigation in the UK that is expected to last until October 18.
Ubisoft also took to Twitter to announce Microsoft’s restructured deal.
What this deal means for Microsoft
This newly structured deal means that if Microsoft is successful in closing the acquisition, it won’t be able to release Activision Blizzard games exclusively on Xbox Cloud Gaming. The company won’t be able to exclusively control the licensing terms of Activision Blizzard games on rival services as well.
How this deal will help Ubisoft
Instead, Ubisoft will be able to control the streaming rights to Activision Blizzard games outside of the EU. The Assassin’s Creed maker will also be able to license titles back to Microsoft to be included in Xbox Cloud Gaming.
What Microsoft said about the restructured deal
In the blog, Microsoft president Brad Smith said: “To address the concerns about the impact of the proposed acquisition on cloud game streaming raised by the UK Competition and Markets Authority, we are restructuring the transaction to acquire a narrower set of rights. This includes executing an agreement effective at the closing of our merger that transfers the cloud streaming rights for all current and new Activision Blizzard PC and console games released over the next 15 years to Ubisoft Entertainment SA, a leading global game publisher. The rights will be in perpetuity.”
Smith also explained, “Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard’s games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage. Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard’s games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage.”
Ubisoft will also have the right to add Activision Blizzard games to its Ubisoft Plus Multi-Access subscription. This subscription is available across PC, Xbox, Amazon Luna and PlayStation via Ubisoft Plus Classics.